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W A. KI'TTS. HIGH AND LOW WATER ALARM FOR STEAM BOILERS. No. 341,852. Patented May 11, 1886.

\VILLARD A. KITTS, OF OSIWEGO, NFAV YORK.

HIGH AND LOW WATER ALARM FOR STEAiW BOILERS.

FJILPEGIFICATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 341,852, dated May 11, 1886.

Application filed March 8, 1886. Serial No. 194,404.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLARD A. Krrrs, of Oswego, in the county of Oswego, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in High and Low Water Alarms for Steam-Boilers, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to the class of high and low water alarms of steam-boilers in which a whistle is sounded by a float rising and falling with the water of the boiler and operating the valve of the whistle; and the invention consists in an improved construction of an alarm apparatus comprising a cylindrical chamber secured vertically to the exterior of the boiler, opposite the water-line thereof, and communicating at its upper and lower ends, respectively, with the steam and water spaces of the boiler, a steam-whistle attached to the upper end of the chamber, a valve for controlling the flow of steam to the whistle, a lever connected with the chamber for opening the said valve, and afloat in the chamber arranged to actuate the lever to open the valve by the descent of the float, all as hereinafter more fully explained, and set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a steam-boiler provided with my improved high and low water alarm. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical transverse section of my invention. Fig. 3 is a horizontal transverse section on line a: m, Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section on line y 3 Fig. 2.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A represents a cylindrical chamber, which is secured in a vertical position to the exterior of the steam-boiler I, opposite the water-line thereof, and communicates at its upper and lower ends, respectively, with the steam and water spaces of the boiler by pipe-couplings B denotes a steam-whistleof any ordinary and well-known construction, which whistle is attached to the upper end or top of the chamber A, and has its blow-pipel tapping said chamber. To the inner side of the top of the chamber,between the mouth of the blow-pipe land inner wall of the chamber, is pivoted one end of a-lever, b, which is extended dia- (No model.)

metrically across the center of the chamber, and is supported at its opposite end by a supplemental lever, f, which is arranged over the lever b and parallel therewith, and is connected at one of its ends to the lever Z),and fulcrumed intermediate its length on a suitable support on the under side of the cover ofthe chamber, and carries on its opposite end a counterbalance, a, which can be set at various distances I from the fulcrum of theleverfiand thus cause said lever to exert a greater or less lifting power on the lever b.- On the lever I) is carried and connected the whistle-valve n, and by the before-described lifting of the said lever by the supplemental lever f the lever b is caused to press the valve 1; against the mouth of the blow-pipe Z, and thus normally close the same. From the lever I) is suspendedverticallyarod, a, arranged central in the chamber A,and extending nearly to the bottom thereof. rod is allowed a free upward movement on the lever b, and above the upper end of the rod a is the free end of the leverf.

To the rod a, below the lever b, is attached a float, G, which is arranged relatively opposite or on a level with the high-water mark of the boiler. This float I prefer to form of an annular disk with a downward-projecting circumferential flange, or of the shape of an inverted cup, in which I secure a cork disk or plate. 7

As the water rises in the boiler above the high-water mark,the float G rises correspondingly, and the upper end of the rod a presses against the under side of the free end of the lever f and lifts the same, and thereby causes the opposite end of said lever to press down the lever b,and thus open the valve o,to allow the steam to pass out through the blow-pipel and blow the whistle B. To the lower end of therod a is attached a flaring saucer, D, or concavo-convex disk, arranged with its concave side upward. This saucer is in such a relative position as to be constantly below the water-line of the boiler, and thus constantly carry a certain amount of water.

As the water falls in the boiler,the water in the chamber A falls correspondingly, and as the water passes the low-water mark a sufficient quantity of water is carried in the sancer D to outweigh the counter-balance a on the supplemental lever f, and to overcome the Said resistance of the hereinafter described springsupport of the saucer and float, and thus cause said saucer to draw down the lever b by means of the rod a and by said movement of thelever 1) the valve 1) is opened to permit the steam to escape to blow the whistle B.

The rod a, with the float G and saucer D, I nearly or quite counterbalance by a spring, (I, which is fnlcrumed on a suitable support or hanger, 2?, attached to the interior of the chamber A. One end of said spring is bifurcated or perforated, and embraces thereby the rod a immediately below the pin 8, which passes through the rod above the lever 12, and the opposite end of said spring reaches under the lower end of an adjusting-screw, e, which works in a screw-threaded eye in the top of the chamber, and has its upper end accessible for manipulation. Byturning this adjustingscrew so as to press with greater or less force on the subjacent end oft he spring (Z the opposite end thereof is caused to lift with correspondingl y increased or diminished force the rod a and its appurtenances, and thus the support of the latter can be properly adjusted.

I deem the flaring shape of the saucer D as one of the important features of my invention,for the following reasons: In cold weather, when drawing the water from the boiler and opening the faucet F to discharge the water from the chamber A, the aforesaid saucer remains filled with water, and in case this water becomes frozen the flaring sides of the sancer allow the ice to expand without danger of straining or injuring the said saucer.

It will be observed that my invention sounds the alarm at both the high and low stages of the water of the boiler, and accomplishes the same inan effectual and reliable manner and by simple and effective means.

If desired, the usual gage-cocks and a waterglass, 1', may be attached to the chamber A, and thus my improved apparatus can be made to comprise all necessary appliances for determining the height of the water in the boiler.

It is obvious that an adjustable spring similar to the spring d, with its adjusting-screw e,

maybe employed in lieu of the weight a on the leverf; hence I do not limit myselfin that respect.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent. is

l. The combination, with a steam-boiler, of the chamber A, connected at its upper and lower ends, respectively, with the steam and water spaces of the boiler, a steam-whistle, B, connected to the upper part of the chamber A, a valve for controlling the flow of steam to said whistle, a lever connected with the chamber for opening the valve, the rod a, suspended from the lever, the float G, attached to the upper end of the rod, and the saucer D, attached to the lower endof said rod, substantially as described and shown, for the purpose set forth. 2. The combination, with the steam-boiler, of the chamber A, connected at its upper and lower ends, respectively, with the steam and water spaces of the boiler, the whistle B, con nected to the upper end of said chamber, the lever b, pivoted at one end 011 the chamber and supported yieldingly at the opposite end, the whistle-valve 1;, carried on said lever, the rod a, suspended from the same lever,and having a free upward movement thereon, and the float O and saucer D, attached, respectively, to the upper and lower ends of said rod, substantially as described and shown.

3. In combination with a boiler, the chamber A, connected at its upper and lower ends, respectively, with the steam and water spaces of the boiler, the whistle B, connected to the upper end of said chamber, the lever b, pivoted at one end on the chamber and carrying the whistle-valve, the rod a, suspended from the lever, and having free upward movement thereon, the float O and saucer D, attached, respectively, to theupper and lower ends of the rod a, and the spring (I, supporting the rod a, substantially as described and shown.

4. In combination with a boiler, the chain-- ber A, connected at its upper and lower ends, respectively, with the steam and water spaces of the boiler, the whistle B, connected to the upper end of said chamber, the lever b, pivoted at one end 011 the chamber and supported yieldingly at the opposite end, the rod a, suspended from the lever b, and having free up ward movement thereon, the float O and saucer D, attached, respectively, to the upper and lower ends of said rod, the lever f, pivoted intermediate its length on the chamber, and having one end directly above the rod a and the opposite end connected with the lever b, and a counter-balance 011 said lever f, substantially as described and shown.

5. In combination with the chamber A and float G, the saucer D, connected with said float and formed with flaring sides, substan tially as described and shown, for the purpose Set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name and affixed my seal, in the presence of two attesting witnesses, at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, this 4th day of March, 1886.

WILLARD A. KIT S. [L. s.] WVitnesses:

WILLARD A. Krrrs, J r., G. H. DUELL.

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